Guys after at least a ton of tries I am using my 8700g on TMO as a BT modem for my Macbook pro.

I upgraded the OS on the 8700 to 4.2 and copied the script for the 8100 as a BT modem. Followed the instructions and had to modify one thing:

Under bluetooth menu> Sharing> check all boxes on both sides.

The connection will time out after 10 minutes then I have to hit the phone in the upper right hand corner to reconnect. I am new to mac's (just got one today) so I am not sure if I need to make the BT Modem my default connection and just turn on my airport when I need to.

If anyone has any suggestion on how to keep the connection open please let me know.

Good to hear! You don't have to make your Bluetooth connection the default. The timeout is likely an inactivity timeout - T-Mo will disconnect you if you're not 'actively' using your connection and the time it takes to read a web page is apparently long enough to make T-Mo think you're idle.

Good to hear! You don't have to make your Bluetooth connection the default. The timeout is likely an inactivity timeout - T-Mo will disconnect you if you're not 'actively' using your connection and the time it takes to read a web page is apparently long enough to make T-Mo think you're idle.

That definately sounds like what is going on with the connection. I will say at 10 minutes it will log me out but I just hit the connect and I am back on. Its a small price to pay but I have my mac mobile now so I am happy.

idealist, does this mean you can reconnect without having to restart your 8700??

(That would be EXCELLENT news because according to ggoodale, the other people using an 8700 with the OS 4.2 upgrade are reporting they need to restart [by removing the battery] every time they want to reconnect).

Please let me know, since maybe you are leaving out that you need to restart? This would be a great help for me deciding whether to upgrade to 4.2.

idealist, does this mean you can reconnect without having to restart your 8700??

(That would be EXCELLENT news because according to ggoodale, the other people using an 8700 with the OS 4.2 upgrade are reporting they need to restart [by removing the battery] every time they want to reconnect).

Please let me know, since maybe you are leaving out that you need to restart? This would be a great help for me deciding whether to upgrade to 4.2.

I never have to take my battery out to reconnect, if you need all of instructions I will be happy to send them to you.

A quick follow-up: The only place my configuration differed from idealist's was on the Sharing tab of the Bluetooth page in System Preferences. Two of the three checkboxes under the 'key' icon weren't ticked on my laptop.

To test, I ticked those boxes, then tried connecting via my Pearl. I was able to successfully connect and disconnect three times without pulling the battery! However, the fourth time the phone once again wedged itself and required a battery pull to fix the problem.

So, it seems as though ticking the checkboxes makes a difference, even if it doesn't completely remove the problem. Further investigation needed.

Well, I am incredibly grateful to both of you for all the investigating. I'm new to BB but I actually have been doing cellphone-as-modem, often as my only home internet connection, for almost six years -- using various budget phones starting with a Kyocera 2255 on Sprint's first-gen network (where you were lucky to get 12k down / 10 up, with crazy latency, like 1000ms+ pings).

I've NEVER had a setup that wasn't at least a little "fiddly."

If I can now get 200k down with a $100 device on a $30/mo total plan, that will be spectacular.